Objectives:
The mechanisms regulating human body weight are extraordinarily complex,
and the ongoing obesity epidemic makes it imperative that we improve our understanding of
these processes. In the engineering and physical sciences, there is a long history of using mathematical models and computer simulations to better understand the behavior of complex systems. This approach is now becoming more widely used in the biological and clinical sciences and a small but important field is emerging that uses mathematical and computational methods to address key questions about human metabolism and body weight regulation. This work is highly interdisciplinary and researchers entering this field are posed with communication challenges arising from the disparate backgrounds of researchers in mathematical and medical sciences. While this challenge is typical of truly interdisciplinary research, a second unique challenge arises from the intense media coverage of obesity and weight loss that often misinforms as much as it educates.
The goal of this workshop is to bring together researchers in the fields of obesity and metabolism with investigators expert in mathematical and computational modeling to facilitate communication and collaboration between these researchers. The workshop will provide background on the physiology of human body weight regulation, highlight some of the recent progress applying such methods to modeling human metabolism, food intake, and body composition, and pose open mathematical modeling problems originating from metabolism and body weight regulation research. We believe that it will act as a catalyst for future research on this important topic.

Central Theme:
With more than two-thirds of the United States considered overweight and more than one-third categorized as
obese, understanding mechanisms behind weight gain, loss, and maintenance is a major national goal. Mathematical modeling of the metabolism and body weight regulation is an important and growing subfield of obesity research which serves to understand these mechanisms. Models aid in understanding changes in body composition during weight loss or gain, the degree of individual adherence to a diet or exercise plan, and long‐term effects of changes in diet and exercise on an individual’s weight. Currently, mathematical models developed in collaboration by the PIs and clinicians are being used to develop strategies for dietary interventions during illnesses such as cancer, foster participant adherence to target diet and exercise protocols, and help understand differences between surgical interventions, drug interventions, and dietary interventions to achieve desired weight change. Mathematical models have been applied to understand how metabolic rate varies among animal species and the contribution of reduced physical activity and increased food consumption to our current obesity epidemic. The central theme of this workshop is to provide a formal venue to bring together researchers in nutrition, physiology, and mathematics to circulate the latest advances and pose open challenges in the field.

Summary Report. Discussion focused on open problems along with completed
applications that integrate mathematics and obesity. Lectures on energy
balance models that predict weight change, application of energy balance
models to facilitate positive behavior modification, and energy balance
models applied to children were presented. Small group discussions on
measurements, use and limitations of portable devices, and energy
balance model validation were held. Small groups have formed since the
meeting to develop a spread of obesity infection model, include portable
sensor results inside an energy balance model, and develop an exercise
energy balance model. These groups were formed at the workshop and
integrated the mathematicians with the obesity researchers.

NIMBioS Investigative Workshops focus on broad topics or a set of related topics, summarizing/synthesizing the state of the art and identifying future directions. Workshops have up to 35 participants. Organizers and key invited researchers make up half the participants; the remaining participants are filled through open application from the scientific community. Open applicants selected to attend are notified by NIMBioS within two weeks of the application deadline. Investigative Workshops have the potential for leading to one or more future Working Groups. Individuals with a strong interest in the topic, including post-docs and graduate students, are encouraged to apply. If needed, NIMBioS can provide support (travel, meals, lodging) for Workshop attendees, whether from a non-profit or for-profit organization.

A goal of NIMBioS is to enhance the cadre of researchers capable of interdisciplinary efforts across mathematics and biology. As part of this goal, NIMBioS is committed to promoting diversity in all its activities. Diversity is considered in all its aspects, social and scientific, including gender, ethnicity, scientific field, career stage, geography and type of home institution. Questions regarding diversity issues should be directed to Dr. Ernest Brothers, the NIMBioS Associate Director for Diversity Enhancement (diversity@nimbios.org). You can read more about our Diversity Plan on our NIMBioS Policies web page. The NIMBioS building is fully handicapped accessible.

NIMBioS is sponsored by the
National Science Foundation
through NSF Award #DBI-1300426, with additional support from
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.